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Coast Mountains School District looks at longer break

The Coast Mountains school district will be asking the public what it thinks about adopting a two-week spring break for next school year.

At its March 14th school board meeting, the board approved taking the current standard school calendar and an adjusted calendar, which would include a two-week spring break, to consultation with the public.

“We are sitting down with people to discuss the difference between the two calendars,” said board chair Art Erasmus. “We are going to take that out there, and see how people feel for next year.”

Currently spring break runs from March 18 – 22; in the adjusted calendar it would run from March 18 – 29.

As March 29 next year is a holiday because of Good Friday, only four days of instructional time would be missed, which would be made up by adding six minutes to each school day.

Erasmus said two-thirds of school districts in the province operate on the extended break schedule.

He said the benefits of this is that families can use this time for extended travel; a disadvantage would be families who don't have the resources to arrange an extra week of childcare.

Erasmus said the new calendar was not brought on to be of any financial benefit, although non-teaching employees who are paid by the hour will need to be consulted as they will lose four days of work.

Meetings will be held in Terrace at the school board offices on April 4th and in Kitimat at Mount Elizabeth Secondary school on the same day. A third meeting will be held April 5th in Hazelton at Hazelton Senior secondary school.

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